


What You Most Believe In

by aewgliriel



Category: Star Wars Legends: Legacy Era - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 12:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5743312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aewgliriel/pseuds/aewgliriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jag announces his engagement, Jaina begins to sort out what she wants from life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**\--Chapter One--**   
  
_Put your faith in what you most believe in_   
_Two worlds, one family_   
_Trust your heart_   
_Let fate decide_   
_To guide these lives we see_   
  
_\-- Phil Collins, "Two Worlds"_   
  
_Someday I want a partner, and I want what my mom and dad have, and what Luke and Mara have. I intend to raise a family. I just want to be sure I can offer my children more than what Mom and Mara have been able to offer theirs._

Jaina Solo paused, her words to Jagged Fel coming back to her, as she caught sight of her uncle, holding his infant daughter in his hands. She smiled; Luke and Mara's second child was just a few months old, and was absolutely adored by her five-year-old brother.

Something more permanent, in time, she'd said. She'd known she was letting him go. Even if he hadn't. She smiled wryly as she looked around the new academy on Ossus. Jaina sighed softly, taking in her uncle's effort to replace his beloved Yavin academy.

The new academy was far from finished. A cluster of low, pre-fab huts surrounded the skeletal structure of a new temple. It was a wide-based pyramid with a flat top, much like the one had been on Yavin, but would not have steps up the sides, nor would it be built of rough stone. Even now, droids worked to hew stone slabs from a quarry of marble nearby, a beautiful cream-coloured stone shot through with gold veins. She knew what it looked like, because she'd been with Luke and Kyp when they'd found it.

Jaina sat on a boulder and rested her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands. She'd heard from Jag, finally. It had been a good six months, now since she'd seen him last. She'd known, somehow, that when he left that time, that they were over. She'd hoped then that he'd known it, too.

He had; his message to her this morning was to tell her of his engagement. The bewildering part was that he'd somehow ended up engaged to Tahiri. It baffled her. Jag hadn't offered any explanation as to how, or even why. He'd just said that he hoped she was well, and had said that he had news. He was getting married. He hoped that she didn't mind; he didn't want to hurt her. Did she have someone new?

Jaina snorted. "Yeah, right," she muttered.

She'd felt a little lost, these past two years, since the end of the war. She'd made the sudden decision, about a year before, to retire from the military. She was a colonel, and she'd seen more than her share of brutal battles. They'd been reluctant to let her go, but when she'd said it was "a Jedi thing", they'd understood.

Since then, she'd been based here, assisting her uncle with rebuilding the order. Soon, she suspected he would be sending her out to find recruits. Jaina wasn't sure if she was up to that task, but Luke had assured her that he would be sending her with Kyp.

Now _that_ would be an interesting experience. She grinned just thinking about it. Having spent enough time with Kyp in the last seven years to know his methods in dealing with things. 

"What's funny?"

She glanced up to see Kyp Durron, the Jedi Master she considered her best friend, had approached. "Nothing," she said, as he stepped up and sat on the rock without a word.

"It's got to be something," he said. "I don't see you smile near enough anymore. Especially not since you and Jag split."

Jaina shrugged. "Oh, I was just thinking about this whole academy thing . . . and you recruiting people."

Kyp laughed. "That _is_ an amusing thought."

"Glad it's an entertaining thought, because that's exactly what Luke's going to make you do." Jaina grinned as the mirth was wiped off his face.

"We're doomed," he said.

"That's why I was laughing."

He raised an eyebrow, then reached over and grabbed her. Jaina shrieked but didn't move in time to get away. She doubled over, laughing, as he tickled her. After several moments, he sat back up, allowing her to resume breathing normally.

"That's better," he said, giving her one of his classice roguish grins. "Now, wanna tell me what's got you sitting out here by yourself?"

"Jag's getting married," she told him.

Surprise lifted the Jedi Master's eyebrows. "Really? Wow, that's . . . quick. How do you feel about it?"

She shrugged again. "I'm fine. I mean, yeah . . . it's kind of . . . I knew it wouldn't be me, I didn't want it to be me . . ."

"He's moved on and you haven't," he finished.

"You are really good at that, you know that?" Jaina smiled faintly. "Yeah. I kind of feel like I'm . . . going nowhere."

"You're going places, just . . . not as fast as he is." Kyp wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they stood up. "See? We're going in to get something to eat."

Jaina wrapped her arm around his waist, then used the other arm to punch him lightly in the stomach. "Ha."

His dark green eyes twinkled. "So, who's the unlucky- I mean, lucky girl?"

Jaina smothered a laugh. "Tahiri."

Kyp tripped on his own feet. "No. You're kidding, right?"

"Completely not. Tahiri even got on the comm to talk to me and show me the ring."

He shook his head. "The galaxy is getting stranger and stranger."

"Oh, it could get stranger," she said. "For example, you and I could get married."

For a moment, neither spoke. Then Kyp said, "Yeah, that would be strange."

Jaina turned her face up to his. "Kyp . . . You know what I mean."

"Yeah." His arm tightened a bit, and he smiled. "I know what you mean."


	2. Chapter 2

**\--Chapter Two--**  
  
 _A paradise untouched by man_  
 _Within this world blessed with love_  
 _A simple life, they live in peace_  
  
 _\-- Phil Collins, "Two Worlds"_  
  
"I think I'm going to like it here," Jaina said a few days later, as she and Kyp trudged through the forest, taking a roundabout way to the quarry where Lando Calrissian's droids were working. "I have so far. There's just something about this place that makes me want to stick around."

"So you're really not thinking of going back to flying in a squadron?" Kyp asked, holding a branch out of her way.

"Thanks. No, I'm really not thinking of it." She sighed. "I don't know, it's . . . like I can start over here. Give being a Jedi more of a chance than I've given it."

Kyp snorted. "Luke would love it if I did that. And I know there are people on the council who would love it if I stayed here and out of their hair."

They emerged from the trees and stopped at the edge of the quarry. On the other side, droids were piling marble blocks into stacks. On a platform far below, Lando Calrissian stood, directing them.

"What's Luke going to do when this is all mined?" she asked, glancing over at Kyp.

He clasped his hands behind his back, letting the light breeze ruffle his robes. "Not sure, but he has plans for it. And, fortunately, he doesn't have to ask the council about it, since Ossus has been given over to the Jedi. I'm guessing it'll be big, though."

Jaina straightened her robes, which were a shade darker than his. "I miss flying, but not with the military. If we ran a tunnel from here to the Temple . . . we could install doors over this and use it as a hangar."

Kyp stopped and stared down into the depths of the quarry. "We could," he murmured. "This could easily fit the Academy's contingent of ships."

"What ships?" Jaina asked.

He shot her a look full of green mischief. "The squadron and the transports Cal Omas has given us."

Kyp looked back at the quarry. "We could use one of those holographic things they were using on Anobis, to hide that pit full of spikes. That way, we could have _our_ hangar, and the public one visitors are going to use." He grinned at her. "Good idea, Jaina."

She smiled, blushing slightly. "Thanks."

Her uncle had felt them approach, and was making his way out of the quarry. He greeted them with a smile. Jaina felt a pang at the almost-complete grey of his hair, the lines on his face. He used a very old-fashioned cane to get around these days. She knew it was because he was getting steadily weaker from the venom injected by Shimrra's amphistaff two years before.

"Hello, Kyp, Jaina. Coming to check the progress?"

"Bored, mostly," Kyp answered. "We've been exploring."

"I'd have thought you'd have this whole area explored already," Luke said with amusement. "You've both been here a year already."

"There's too much to explore," Kyp replied. "But, Jaina's had an idea, and we thought we should run it by you."

Jaina explained her idea, getting excited as she pointed out the details she was building in her mind. Luke nodded, then wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. "Very good idea, Jaina. I'll talk to Lando about it."

His niece beamed.

"So, I hear Jag is getting married?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Jag's mother told Wedge, who told me." Luke smiled. "They didn't tell me, however, who he's marrying."

"Not me." Jaina raised her hands. "Actually, that was something else I wanted to talk to you about. See . . . Jag and his fiancée want to have the wedding here. Or, at least, one ceremony. When the temple's finished."

Kyp covered his mouth, smothering a laugh. Jaina stepped firmly on his foot.

"Why?" Luke asked.

"Because that's what Tahiri wants," Jaina said sweetly.

Her uncle looked confused. "What does Tahiri have to- Oh. Oh! Jag and _Tahiri_?!"

Kyp couldn't keep it in any longer. He burst out laughing and had to turn away.

Jaina gave him a scathing look, then turned to Luke. "Yes, Jag and Tahiri. It surprised me, too. I'm sure Tahiri will be talking with you about it soon. She and Jag are coming in from Csilla."

Luke shook his head. "All right. I'll have to tell your mother, she's going to have a fit."

"Especially since Tahiri says she wants Mom to plan part of it." Jaina shook her head. "Let Mom get it out of her system with Tahiri. _I_ want something simple."

Luke's blue gaze flicked between them. "Hmm. Well, you two run along, I've got to get back to Lando . . ."

Kyp looked down at Jaina. "What was _that_ look about?"

Jaina shrugged. "With Uncle Luke, who knows?"  
  


\----------

Evening found Jaina perched on her favourite boulder, out in front of her assigned hut. The sun was setting behind a distant mountain range, and yellow, orange, pink, and red beams of light filtered through the jagged peaks. It was one of her favourite things, to watch the spectacular sunsets here.

She'd never given much thought to what she'd do after the war. And here she was, two years later, with only a bit of an inkling. Retiring from the military had been in direct conflict with her role as the Sword of the Jedi, but she'd felt it was the right thing to do. Maybe, if she led a squadron of Jedi fighters . . .

She sighed and rested her chin on her knees.

The war had given her purpose. And now that the fighting was over, she felt a bit lost. The part of her that was the Sword battled fiercely with the part of her that was the twenty-three-year-old young woman who wanted more than to be a fiery brand.

Behind her, coming from the direction of the Skywalkers' hut, she heard a burst of childish laughter. She smiled wistfully. She wanted a family, but how was she to get that if the Force wanted her to stand alone and tall, leading others?

A tear slipped down her cheek. She brushed at it with her sleeve, but wasn't fast enough.

"Tears, goddess?"

She gave a small, hiccuping laugh. "Once again, you pop out of thin air right at my weak moment."

Kyp crouched in front of her, so that his back was to the sunset and he was looking up at her. "What's the matter this time, Jay?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

"I know you, and it's never nothing."

Jaina sighed. "I just . . . I'm still having trouble with this Sword of the Jedi thing. I don't _want_ to be the Sword. I don't want to be a warrior for the rest of my life. And maybe, I don't know, the Sword part was just for the war, but . . . somehow I don't think so, and I have to wonder if my being _here_ was _my_ decision, or if the Force told me to come here."

He reached out and took her hands. "And this has you crying . . . why?"

"I don't know!" she wailed, then laughed. "I just . . . Force, Kyp, I don't want to be the Sword of the Jedi!"

Kyp stood and pulled her into his arms. "Jaina . . . I wish I had words for you, but I don't. All I can say is that Luke was wrong. You won't be alone, because I'll always be here, got it? Whenever you need me."

Jaina sighed again, then wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a quick, hard squeeze around the middle. "Thanks, Kyp. What would I do without you?"

He ruffled her hair. "Probably not a whole lot, considering how many times you'd be dead without me."

She laughed. "Gee, thanks."

Kyp smoothed the hair he'd just ruffled. "Anyway . . . your uncle sent me to get you. He wants to talk to both of us."

"He's sending us out to do something Jedi-ish, isn't he?"

"Probably."

"This should be entertaining."

He laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

**\--Chapter Three--**  
  
 _Softly tread the sand below your feet now_  
 _Two worlds, one family_  
 _Trust your heart_  
 _Let fate decide_  
 _To guide these lives we see_  
  
 _\-- Phil Collins, "Two Worlds"_  
  
"I _don't_ miss my X-wing."

Kyp laughed as he glanced over at Jaina. "Not even a little?"

Jaina shook her head. "Not when flying this . . ."

"This" was the absolute latest in Mon Cal technology, a small cargo transport about half the size of the _Falcon_ that handled almost as well as an XJ3 X-wing. Plus, it was loaded with weaponry that Jaina hadn't even begun to catalogue. She'd already named it "Sind'ri", which meant "small and sparkling" in Bothan.

An indignant tweedle came from the back of the bridge. Kyp turned in his seat to look at Cappie, who was magnetically fastened to the floor to keep from rolling all over. "No, Cappie, she doesn't mean she doesn't want to fly with you anymore."

Jaina smirked. "Preparing to exit hyperspace. Make sure you're belted in, Kyp."

"With you flying? Always."

"You're just _asking_ to be dumped off and stranded at the nearest starport, Durron." Jaina grinned as she pushed the lever for the hyperdrive. The blue swirl of hyperspace turned back into stars. The ship gave the smallest shudder at the reversion, and Jaina let out a woop.

Kyp laughed. "You really enjoy this, don't you?"

She shrugged. Adjusting the coordinates she was piloting towards, she said, "Yeah, but I don't miss fighting battles."

"Hopefully, you won't have to fight any more battles."

Jaina gave him a disbelieving look. "I'm a Solo, Kyp. Not gonna happen. _However_ . . . I'm going to take a nice, long vacation from blowing things up."

"Every time I say that, I end up blowing something up within a week," Kyp said.

"Quiet, you."

She guided the ship towards the verdant planet below them. A voice came over the open comm.

"Unidentified ship, this is Triffis Control. Please identify yourself and state your purpose here."

Kyp looked at the comm, then at Jaina, and raised an eyebrow.

"Triffis Control, this is Colonel Jaina Solo, piloting the _Sind'ri_. We're here on business from the Chief of State."

There was a pause, then the voice said, "We're uplinking coordinates to your computer, Colonel Solo. Please follow them. Your contact will meet you on the surface."

"Thank you, Control." Jaina shut off the comm.

"Interesting place," Kyp murmured.

"Why do I have the feeling it's about to get even more interesting?"  
  


\----------

No one was more surprised than Jaina when she and Kyp stepped off the _Sind'ri_ -

To find Jacen Solo standing before them, all by himself, wearing civilian clothing. He'd regrown a short beard, and didn't have his lightsaber in sight. Jaina figured it must be inside the jacket he wore.

Jaina hugged her brother. "What are you doing here? What are _we_ doing here?"

"I got stranded, so Uncle Luke sent you to get me."

Kyp snorted. "That's _it_? We came all this way to pick you up?"

"It's not like you were doing anything important, anyway," Jacen retorted.

Jaina ignored their bickering as the group left the hangar and emerged out into the open. There was a lot of sand, and towering green trees. The capitol city sat along the coast of a gorgeous, turquoise sea.

"Wow," she said.

"Uncle Luke thought you two would like somewhere else to explore . . . preferably out of his hair." Jacen grinned.

"This isn't Jedi stuff at all!" Kyp said. "We've been duped!"

Jaina shook her head. "Kyp, would you look where we are? C'mon, Ossus is nice and all, but it's kind of cold there right now, and this is all nice and bright and sunny . . ."

A rather stunning woman walked by in something rather revealing. Kyp and Jacen both turned to watch her. Jaina rolled her eyes.

"Okay, that's it, back to Ossus-"

She squeaked when Kyp grabbed her and clapped a hand over her mouth. The Jedi Master turned to Jacen. "Okay, so, where are we staying?"  
  


\----------

"Quit complaining. You said yourself you wanted a nice, long vacation from blowing things up."

Jaina kicked sand at Kyp, who was reclining on his back, his eyes closed against the sun.

Kyp opened an eye, then reached over and grabbed her ankle. "One would think, being a Jedi Knight and a retired colonel, you'd be a little better behaved."

"But you and Jacen are going to go find really attractive bimbos and spend all your time with them." She perked up. "Maybe I can find a really attractive male bimbo, and . . ."

She trailed off as Kyp's gaze raked over her, starting at his hand around her ankle. His expression was nearly identical to the one he'd worn on Hapes, when she'd worn the red dress, but this time, it was somehow . . . more. Maybe it was because all she wore was a dark green bikini that the two men had bought for her.

It was somehow disturbing that her brother had encouraged Kyp's choice in swimwear for her. More disturbing than Kyp's choice was.

"You do anything of the sort, Goddess . . ." He let the threat trail off, but the intent was there.

Jaina blinked, wondering suddenly what was going on. Her heart was going a thousand klicks a minute and her ankle tingled where he still held her.

She sat down abruptly on her towel. Kyp let go of her ankle, but didn't take his eyes off her. His eyes, a vibrant green in the sunlight, burned into her.

She blushed, looking away.

Kyp gazed at her for another moment, then flopped back on his towel and closed his eyes. Luke was setting him up, he just knew it.

Of course, knowing didn't mean he was going to protest.  
  


\----------

After their trip to the beach, Jaina showered quickly to wash the sand out of her hair, and donned her other new acquisition: a knee-length, medium blue skirt with a bit of flutter to it, and a light blue, sheer blouse with long, loose sleeves and beaded designs, over a dark blue tank with thin straps. She'd picked this one herself.

It was still a bit odd to wear casual clothing whenever she wanted. She was used to a uniform, a flightsuit, or Jedi robes. As she slipped her feet into blue sandals, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror above the dresser in her room, and paused.

She didn't recognise herself anymore.

It was the same hair, a bit longer than she'd worn it for five years; the same eyes, the same nose and mouth. But she looked older. Maybe it was that tension was fading. She'd lost too much weight during the war, and she was beginning to look healthy again.

Jaina shook her head and straightened. Leaving her hair loose around her shoulders, she paused to grab her room card, and went out to meet Jacen and Kyp on the veranda.

The two men wore similar shirts, both of a light, gauzy material. Jacen's fastened up the front with little silver clasps, up to the folded collar. He wore a pale beige, whereas Kyp wore his customary black. The Jedi Master's shirt, however, laced up the front, and was left loose, allowing a rather nice view of his chest.

Jaina bit her tongue when she realised what she was thinking.

They went to dinner at a tapcaf along the beachfront, then Jacen returned early to his room. Jaina followed Kyp out to the beach. She slipped her shoes off and he followed suit, the two of them walking barefoot on the sand, which was still warm from the sun.

Her hand somehow found its way into his. Not only that, but when she realised it, she had no urge to pull away. Holding his hand was comforting. Jaina tried not to think about it as they walked.

Neither spoke for some time. Jaina opened her mouth a few times, but always closed it again, sensing he wasn't in a mood to talk. That made her nervous, that they were walking along a moonlit beach, barefoot, holding hands and not speaking.

Then she stepped on something sharp in the sand and cried out, letting go of Kyp's hand as she dropped to the sand.

Kyp knelt beside her. "What's wrong?"

"I stepped on something."

He searched the sand and came up with a seashell. It was rough and spiraled to a point, which Jaina had impaled her foot on. But even so, it was strangely beautiful, the inside opalescent, smooth and shimmery, while the outside was dark and coarse.

Jaina held it in her hands as Kyp examined her foot. It was difficult to ignore his touch, and her hand closed convulsively on the shell when his thumb brushed her heel.

"It doesn't look too bad," he said, his voice huskier than he would have liked. "But I think it needs treatment. Do you think you can walk, or would you like me to carry you?"

Jaina hesitated. It was very difficult to think with his thumb still stroking her foot. Even with the throbbing from the bleeding hole in the sole of her foot. "Um. I think I can walk."

Kyp helped her stand. She stood for a moment with her weight against him, off her injured foot. He placed his hand on her shoulder to steady her, the other on her opposite hip.

"You need to test it," he told her.

"I don't want to," she said.

His laugh was a brush of hot breath against her cheek. She turned her head, and found her face less than an inch from his, their noses almost bumping. Jaina froze, her eyes going wide as her heart suddenly raced.

Kyp's hand slid from her shoulder, up her neck and under her hair. He drew her in close with his hand at her hip. Without a moment of hesitation, his mouth settled on hers, stealing her breath away.

He kissed her slowly, savouring the moment and the feel of her mouth against his. He couldn't believe it when the moment dragged on without her pushing him away . . . and then her hands curled into his shirt at his waist. She made a small noise, almost a moan, and pressed closer, kissing him back.

He felt his control slipping, his hand sliding down of its own volition, fingers stroking her leg through the thin fabric of her skirt. Kyp pulled away, panting, as he struggled to contain himself.

Jaina looked at him for several moments in silence, her swollen lips parted, her dazed brown eyes gradually regaining clarity.

All too soon, her fingers released their grip on the fabric of his shirt, and without a word, she turned, forgetting her sandals, and ran on her toes across the sand, away from him.

Kyp sat down on the sand and picked up her shoes.

Then he realised she'd taken the shell with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**\--Chapter Four--**  
  
 _Beneath the shelter of the trees_  
 _Only love can enter here_  
 _A simple life, they live in peace_  
  
 _\-- Phil Collins, "Two Worlds"_  
  
"How'd this happen?" Jacen asked.

"I stepped on a shell on the beach," Jaina said. She frowned at her foot. "Ow!"

"You've got sand in this," Jacen said. "I have to get it out. Quit moving."

Jaina picked up the shell and studied it. Now that she was in the light, she could see that it was dark green, dark like Kyp's eyes.

She flushed at the memory of kissing him. She knew it was stupid to run, but . . . she'd kissed him! She'd kissed Kyp Durron . . . and the thought didn't disturb her as much as she'd thought it would.

Jacen paused and eyed his sister. "Jaya?"

"Hmm?"

"You're a million lightyears away . . . What happened on the beach?"

Jaina didn't take her eyes off the shell. "Um . . . he kissed me."

"And you ran away?!" Jacen scoffed. "You're an idiot, Jaina."

"How'd you know I ran-" She stopped. "Wait. Are you pushing me towards him or something?"

Jacen rolled his eyes. "Jaina . . . Never mind, this is something you'll have to figure out yourself. But whatever you figure out, you have my blessing."

He finished with her foot, stuck a small bacta patch over the wound, and wrapped a light, gauze bandage around it. "Don't walk on that tomorrow."

Then he kissed her cheek and left her room.

Jaina tried to sleep, but couldn't. When she finally fell asleep near morning, she dreamed of Kyp.  
  


\----------

True to his word, Jacen left Jaina to "figure it out". Mostly. He had a somewhat annoying tendency to leave Kyp and Jaina shut in together.

Jaina didn't even know if she wanted to avoid Kyp. She didn't get much of a chance, in any case, but part of her wanted to find out, if he kissed her again, how it would affect her. If it would affect her the same as on the beach.

He behaved himself the rest of their two weeks on Triffis, and on the flight back to Ossus. It didn't affect their friendship much, they were still best friends, but there was something new in the mix, something that would make Jaina blush and stammer when Kyp looked at her a certain way. Suddenly, her flippant words to him before, about the idea of marrying him being strange, didn't seem so bizarre.

She'd drilled a hole through the shell that had resulted in his kissing her, and wore it on a leather lace around her neck. She knew it made Kyp wonder, and it made her wonder, too.

Ossus was different, though, because there were other things to occupy their time, and she saw him less. He was heavily involved with the building of the temple and the outbuildings, and overseeing the construction of the hangar. Jaina, on the other hand, saw to the keeping of the new ships: three more like the _Sind'ri_ , a larger cargo hauler of Hapan design, donated by Tenel Ka, the Queen Mother, and twelve X-wings. Jaina was in charge of finding, out of the Jedi that remained after the war, ten pilots who could form the rest of a Jedi squadron, if the need arose, and their training. It was assumed that she and Kyp would be co-leads, since they'd had so much experience flying together in the war.

She found herself pausing, in the middle of adjusting the alignment of a laser cannon on one of the XJ3s, and thinking of Kyp. Sometimes she'd go days without seeing him, and it bothered her. She missed him.

"Hey."

Startled, Jaina dropped the hydrospanner. Feeling flustered, she turned on the ladder, one arm hooked around it for balance, and looked down.

Kyp stood below her, holding the dropped tool. "Care to go for a walk?"

She hesitated. It was strange how much she wanted to go with him, even though she had to finish was she was doing. "Um . . . I have to finish the calibrations on this fighter . . ."

"Let me help."

"Okay," she breathed. Cursing herself at her lack of resistance, Jania snatched the hydrospanner from him and went back to what she was doing.

Kyp laughed, and she had the urge to hit him with the tool. "What specs?" he asked.

"Ask the droid." Jaina pointed to Cappie, who sat in the back of the fighter.

The work went quickly, with the two of them working together. As it usually did. It was less than thirty standard minutes later when Jaina followed Kyp out of the rough hangar, into the cool weather outside.

"It's starting to warm up," he remarked. "It should be warm weather by the time we finish construction on the temple."

"That will be nice." She fell into step beside him, and he slowed his stride to match hers.

The two wandered without real purpose through the trees, following a path Jaina couldn't see. She didn't think they'd gone this way before, since it was beyond the quarry. The trees were beginning to bud, showing signs of new growth on their branches.

Kyp's fingers brushed the sleeve of Jaina's robe, and then caught her hand. He wove his fingers through hers, smiling shyly at her. Jaina inwardly marvelled at seeing Kyp Durron acting _shy_. She smiled, blushing, and turned her gaze towards the path.

They emerged through the trees into a small clearing. The boughs overhead shaded the ring of trees, save for a nearly circular opening through which the sunlight drifted through, spilling a warm glow down on them as Kyp pulled her into its rays.

He pushed her hair back, cupped her face. "Jaina . . . I think I'll die if I don't kiss you."

Her hands flattened on his chest and she closed the space between them. "I think I'll die if you don't."

"I wouldn't want to be responsible for that," he murmured, just before his mouth covered hers.  
  


\----------

The next weeks passed like a dream. Kyp knew that everyone was noticing a change in him, but he didn't care. He had Jaina, and he was happy. For once in his life, he was truly happy.

At first, they attempted to hide their courtship, not wanting to answer prying questions. They would steal away to their clearing for afternoons lying on a blanket, staring at the sky, or sharing a quiet picnic.

But their absences didn't go unnoticed, and knowing smiles began to greet them. In the final days of construction, they became more open with their affection, which was a little odd to Jaina, because she wasn't exactly sure _what_ was between them, just that there was something, something that made her long to kiss him, to hold him. Love? Insanity? She didn't know, but wanted to figure it out.

They weren't kissing openly, but it was in the little touches, the possessive looks, the secret smiles they exchanged. Even the smallest actions spoke louder than words.

And, frankly, she didn't care who knew. Maybe that should have told her something.  
  


\----------

Kyp looked up when Luke entered his pre-fab hut and closed the door. Gesturing to a chair, he asked, "Luke, is there something I can do for you?"

"I'd like to talk to you about Jaina."

Kyp couldn't help the brief smile that curved his lips in a surprisingly serene smile. "What about her?"

Luke studied him in silence for several moments, then began to smile. "It's become . . . apparent that the two of you are . . . romantically involved to an extent."

One raven brow lifted. "I thought that was what you wanted."

Luke flashed him a quick grin, then said, "Well, yes. It's been obvious to me for a long time now that there's a certain . . . dynamic between the two of you. I noticed on Borleias, during the war, and I've noticed it a great deal in the year and a half you've been here on Ossus."

"A dynamic, huh?"

"One I'm happy to say has turned into what I always suspected it would." Luke sat forward. "But . . . I'd like you to think carefully about Jaina, Kyp. I know you love her. That's not the issue. I'd just like you to take care with her. I know you must be happy that everything you've wanted is finally, well . . . yours, so to speak. Just don't take it for granted. Love Jaina for who she is, not who you may think she is."

Kyp smiled wryly. "I know who she is, Luke. She's my best friend in this entire galaxy, and I love her with my entire being. Her wants and needs are foremost in my mind. They always have been, which was why I kept quiet for four years while she was with Jag. I'd like to be selfish, but . . . with her, all I can think to be is selfless."

Luke gifted him with a truly genuine smile. "That's all I can ask."  
  


\-----------

Jag and Tahiri arrived a week before the planned finish of the temple to see how things were going. Jaina greeted them warmly, and Jag asked her if she was feeling all right.

"Everything's fine," she told him, and was surprised to realise that it was true. She held no resentment towards the couple. A year had passed since Jag was hers, and she held nothing for him except an almost sisterly fondness.

While Tahiri was meeting with Luke about something, Jaina took Jag to show him the hangar she'd proposed.

"This is impressive," he said. "Who designed it?"

"Well . . . Kyp and I did. I suggested it, and we worked with Lando's crew to design it. Those doors overhead are covered by a projected hologram, so that you can't see them from the air. That was Kyp's idea."

"And this was the quarry the stone for the temple was mined from?"

"Yes."

Jag placed his hand on the durasteel wall. "How are you, Jaina? I'm sorry I didn't ask . . . We never formally parted ways, did we? I just dropped my engagement on you."

"It's all right. It really doesn't matter. We were a long time ago, and we've both moved on."

His pale green eyes were curious. "Oh? And whom, if I may ask, have you moved on to?"

Her smile could have lit the inside of a black hole. "Oh, I think you know."

Jag laughed. "I knew you'd see reason eventually. I'm glad you're happy, Jay."

"I'm glad for you, too. So, tell me . . . how did you and Tahiri end up together?"  
  


\----------

Jaina stepped back as the Chiss-design corvette disappeared into the bright blue sky, taking Jag and Tahiri to Denon to see his uncle. She shaded her eyes from the glare of the sun until it was gone, then turned and walked across the dirt landing field to where Kyp sat on the boulder, waiting.

"I can't believe they're getting married in two months. Tahiri seems so much . . . older now."

Kyp wrapped his arms around her. "She does. How did your visit with Jag go?"

Jaina squeezed him tightly. "Don't be jealous. No matter what happened between him and me before, he's like a brother to me now."

"And me?" he asked quietly.

"I'm still sorting that out . . . but I like what I'm finding."

"Me, too," he said. "Me, too."


	5. Chapter 5

**\--Chapter Five--**  
  
 _Raise your head up_  
 _Lift high the load_  
 _Take strength from those that need you_  
  
 _\-- Phil Collins, "Two Worlds"_  
  
The temple was nearly completed.

Jaina stood at its base, gazing up at the alabaster structure, shading her eyes as the sunlight reflected off the cream-and-gold stone. It was beautiful, a monument to what the Jedi stood for: peace, light, truth, and life.

"Coming through!"

Jaina turned, stepping out of the way as her uncle, her brother, Kyp, and Valin Horn came through, bearing a crate on a repulsorsled. "Where's that going?" she asked.

Kyp grinned at her, pointing up to the top of the temple. "There," he said.

"What _is_ it?" she asked, immensely curious. It was a rather large crate, at least four metres long and two wide.

Her uncle gestured to Valin as he turned to Jaina. "You'll see. Now, I'd suggest clearing out of the way, just in case we drop this."

"Excuse me?" Kyp snorted. "I don't drop things. Especially not on Jaina."

Jaina laughed. "How are you getting it up there?"

"Well, _I'm_ not levitating it!" Valin put in. "Jacen and I are going to go inside and take the turbolift up so we can help when Kyp gets it up here."

Jaina raised an eyebrow. "And _you're_ getting it up there _how_?"

Kyp turned a green-eyed look at her. "Well, I'll need your help for that, Goddess."

"Okay."

"You don't want to know how?"

She smiled. "Doesn't matter."

Luke sent Jacen and Valin off, then turned to Kyp. "All right. Do your thing."

Kyp's smile was wry. He glanced at Jaina. "I'm going to levitate it," he said. "Help me?"

She placed her hand in his, opening herself to the Force. She let Kyp draw on her power, keeping her eyes steady on him as he reached out and lifted the crate. A sweat broke out on his brow; whatever was in the crate, it was heavy.

Jaina tightened her grip on his hand and sent him encouragement. She got a glimmer of thanks from him, and then he was sagging as shouts from above confirmed the arrival of the package.

Luke clapped Kyp on the shoulder, then said, "Come on."

Jaina followed, still holding Kyp's hand, up to the top of the pyramid. Valin and Jacen were already cracking the crate open, to reveal a gorgeous, golden-hued statue, of a Jedi holding his lightsaber high in both hands, blade pointing up to the stars.

She gasped when she realised the effigy bore Anakin's face.

Kyp glanced at her as he was pulling his shirt off. "The vote for that was unanimous," he said quietly.

She smiled, unable to speak.

The five of them worked together to lever the statue out of the box, then to move it over to the base, where it would stand in the centre of the platform. Again, Jaina lent strength to a sweaty Kyp as the men heaved it into place, her hand on the small of his back.

"Why didn't we use droids?" Valin whined, as he mopped his sweating face with his shirt.

"Because," Jacen said. "This was something Jedi needed to do. To show that we don't depend solely on the Force or on droids. We depend on each other."

Jaina smiled at her brother as she handed Kyp's shirt to him. "Here. Though it's kind of a shame . . ." Her eyes took in the smooth expanse of well-muscled flesh and her smile widened.

Kyp grinned at her. He didn't put it on immediately. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close for a brief hug. "Thanks, Jay."

Ignoring the fact that he was nude from the waist up and dripping with sweat, Jaina hugged him back. As she did, a realisation took root in her mind. It seemed somewhat strange, coming at such a time. But she couldn't deny it, now that it was there. "No problem," she said, surprised she could speak calmly. "Now, let's party!"

Luke laughed. "I agree."  
  


\----------

It probably wasn't the grand opening the Jedi of the old order would have had, but these weren't the Jedi of the old order.

Kyp sat on their boulder, watching the party going on around him. Fireworks blasted overhead as music blasted below. With the new temple as a backdrop, it was a very interesting sight.

"Why so glum?"

Kyp turned his head as Jaina sat down, forcing him to scoot over to give her room. He accepted the glass she offered. "Not glum, just . . . thinking."

"Am I going to have to drag you out to the . . . " Jaina trailed off, looking at the dirt patch the partygoers occupied. "Dance floor? And I say that optimistically . . ."

He chuckled, taking a sip of his lomin ale. "Maybe in a little bit. At least let me finish this, since you were kind enough to bring it to me."

They sat in companionable silence, observing their friends, family, and colleagues as they put on a rare show of levity. Well, rare for the Jedi who had been through what this lot had.

"Luke wants to start recruiting next week. Now that the temple's completed," Kyp said. "Would you like to come with me?"

Jaina glanced sideways at him. "What, you really have to ask? Partners, remember?"

He gave her a half smile. "Right."

Then he set the glass down at the base of the rock. "You still up for that dance?"

Jaina put her glass next to his. "Of course, Master Durron. Lead on."

The music was too fast for a slow dance, but they didn't care. Nor, it seemed, did much of anyone. Her parents were off to one side, swaying in each other's arms. Jaina smiled. _I want what they have_ , she said to herself.

Kyp followed her gaze to Han and Leia, then studied Jaina's profile. She looked wistful, her eyes full of longing. "Jay," he murmured.

She slowly pulled her gaze from her parents and looked up. "Yeah?"

His fingers traced her brow, the curve of her cheek. She trembled suddenly, caught in breathless anticipation.

"Let's get out of here," he murmured. "There's that grove we found . . ."

She slipped her hand into his and followed him away from the temple. No one noticed them leave, which may have been Kyp's doing. None, save one.  
  


\----------

"Where's Jaina?" Leia asked, as her brother joined them where they were sitting off to one side.

"Come to think of it, where's Kyp?" Luke asked.

Han slung his arm across his wife's shoulders. "Probably just slipped off to get away from this crowd for a while."

Leia pushed at her husband's arm, attempting to stand up. "I'm going to go find her. She should be here, and she definitely shouldn't be out there alone-"

Han's grip tightened. "She's not," he said, looking steadily at her. "Leave her be."

Leia sank down on the bench as the meaning of Han's words hit her. "Oh."

"You stay here, I'll get us some drinks."  
  


\----------

They could still hear the music, still see the flashes of coloured light from the fireworks, but they didn't pay much attention to the noise as they stopped in the middle of the clearing. Kyp threaded his fingers through hers, pulled her against him. Jaina dug her fingers into his dark curls as he kissed her. His kiss was fierce, hungry; Jaina found her legs giving way as every muscle in her body turned to jelly. Her hands shoved the heavy, dark robe from his shoulders.

"I need you," she told him, as they separated for air.

"I know," he breathed.

She giggled. "I said 'I need you', not 'I love you' . . . but I do. Love you."

He didn't reply, just kissed her again. Kyp lowered her to the soft, fragrant grass, atop his discarded robe. Then, both oblivious to the celebration, he carried her away.


	6. Chapter 6

**\--Chapter Six--**  
  
 _Build high the walls_  
 _Build strong the beams_  
 _A new life is waiting_  
 _But danger's no stranger here_  
  
 _\-- Phil Collins, "Two Worlds"_  
  
"We got a message from a woman on Rothana, that her daughter is showing signs of Force sensitivity," Luke said. He pushed a datapad across his desk towards Kyp, who picked it up. "The girl, Sarisa Kallos, is sixteen. I'd like the two of you to go to Rothana, test her, and if her mother is right, bring her back here."

Kyp looked at the datapad, but didn't speak. Jaina, on the other hand, remarked, "What are we now, a courier service?"

Luke looked sharply at his niece, who was half-curled into the chair next to Kyp's. She looked pale, drawn, her pretty features set in a scowl that would have seemed more at home on Kyp's features. "No . . . You agreed several months ago to help, Jaina."

"I know." She sighed. "Sorry, I'm not sleeping well, and it's making me irritable."

Kyp glanced over at her, no expression breaking the calm of his handsome features, but concern was evident in those green eyes. He turned to Luke. "Would you like us to leave now?"

"As soon as is convenient," Luke said. "All the information you need is there on the datapad. May the Force be with you."

Kyp waited until they were in the hall before asking, in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

"Do you really care?" she snapped. "Leave me alone, Durron."

He glanced both ways, then manoeuvred her into his office, which was across the hall from Luke's. "Jaina, something's bothering you, and . . . I'd like to think there's enough between us, even for the sake of our friendship . . ."

"Friendship? _Friendship_?!" She threw her hands in the hair. "Kyp . . . I don't know what we are anymore. You're acting like that night in the forest didn't happen. Like you didn't kiss me. Like we didn't . . ."

She trailed off, looking away as her arms fell to her sides.

"I thought that's what you wanted," he said softly. "I didn't know if that was . . . genuine or if it was the ale. We were both pretty out of it."

Jaina brushed at her eyes with the back of her hand, then reached out and grabbed his tunic, pulling him close. "Kyp . . . Force, Kyp . . . I thought- I thought you didn't want me, that I'd done something . . . wrong."

He gathered her in his arms, held her tightly. "No, Jaina, no. Never think that."

She sighed, pressing her face into the soft, stubbly material of his robes. "How can I not, when you avoid me?"

Kyp lifted her chin with a finger. "I think . . . we've failed to communicate properly. Now . . . do you regret it?"

She didn't have to ask what "it" was. "No. Do you?"

"Of course I don't, Jay." Kyp kissed her forehead, then her lips. She sighed. Pressing closer, she slid her hands up his chest, to grip his shoulders.

Outside the door, Luke shook his head, then waved his hand over the door's keypad to lock it, and went back into his office.  
  


\----------

Kyp thought that everything had been resolved between them, but Jaina's restlessness on their trip to Rothana told him otherwise. She was distant, but fidgetty, as if she were thinking of something she wanted to discuss, but couldn't bring herself to say. He didn't want to pry, because they were still sorting out their relationship. The night of the celebration had thrown a bit of a kink into the smooth flow of what they'd been establishing, and it was almost as if they were backtracking and starting anew.

He resolved, as they landed the ship on Rothana, that he would talk to her when they got back to Ossus.

The Kallos family lived in a tall apartment building, near the top floor. Sarisa Kallos reminded Jaina of a sixteen-year-old version of herself, minus the being-raised-as-a-Jedi-and-daughter-of-famous-parents part. The girl was just a bit shorter than Jaina, with long brown hair and large brown eyes.

And the girl's mother had been right. Given that the girl could move objects with her mind, it would have been difficult to be wrong. Not only that, the girl was excited to go to the new academy and be one of its first new students.

"I am looking forward to this," the girl said as she chatted nervously to Jaina. They were following Kyp towards the _Sind'ri_.

Jaina smiled, hoping it wasn't a half-hearted one. She was not feeling at all well. All she wanted was to get the girl into her bunk and talk to Kyp.

Once the girl had her belongings in the hold and she was tucked into one of the two sleeping quarters, Jaina found Kyp in the cockpit.

"We need to talk," she said.

Kyp paused in the pre-flight sequence and looked over. "That sounds serious. Something wrong?"

"I think I'm pregnant."

He very slowly sat back in his seat, his eyes wide. "Are you sure?"

"Not completely. I mean . . . I haven't . . . tested yet, but I'm late. And I don't exactly feel like dancing around. But . . . yeah, I think I am."

Kyp exhaled forcefully. "Well . . . is this a good thing?"

Jaina hesitated, a quick smile curving her lips for an instant before she asked, "Do you think it is?"

"Maybe . . . Yeah," he said, losing his breath suddenly, as he fully comprehended what they were discussing. "You?"

"I think so," she whispered.

"Jay-" He stopped.

Footsteps sounded in the corridor, then Sarisa stuck her head in. "Hello. I am settled in. I have never been off-planet, may I sit in here with you?"

Jaina glanced at Kyp. "Later," she mouthed.

He nodded, then turned to Sarisa. "Sure. Strap yourself in."  
  


\----------

After Sarisa got sick of the view of hyperspace and went to bed, Kyp and Jaina sat at the table in the galley. They each had a mug, his of caf, hers of cocoa. He'd immediately decided to not let her have caf, just in case.

"How late are you?" he asked.

"Two weeks. First few days I didn't think anything of it, it can happen sometimes, but a few days turned into a week, and then two weeks." Jaina wrapped her hands tight around her mug and turned her eyes up at him. "Are you angry?"

"No," he said immediately, his voice soft. "Not at all. Surprised, yes, but not angry. Jaina . . . if this is true, we have a chance at something that, well, neither of us really thought about, you know? I never thought I'd be a father."

She smiled wryly. "And I was afraid I'd always be alone. Sword of the Jedi and all that."

Kyp set down his mug and covered her hands with his. "Jay . . . we'll work things out, okay? I promise."

Jaina smiled. "I know. I never believed otherwise."  
  


\----------

Jaina slept for much of the hyperspace journey back to Ossus. When he should have been sleeping beside her, Kyp found himself sitting away, watching her, and wondering.

He didn't want to get his hopes up, but the sudden thought that he could be a father had him thinking. Thinking, and yearning. He hadn't thought about it much before, fatherhood. But now, it was all that occupied his mind.

He loved Jaina, loved her very, very much, and he wanted nothing more than to build a family with her. He knew, from their short conversations when she was awake and Sarisa wasn't present, that she wanted the same.

Suddenly, he was looking forward to life on Ossus: marriage, family, raising a child. Things he'd never thought he would have, could have, were suddenly within his grasp.

And then he started trembling, at the thought of holding his child, of being responsible for something so small. He'd been called Destroyer of Worlds. What if he couldn't care for a child?

Shaken to the core, Kyp held Jaina close and closed his eyes against his fear.


	7. Chapter 7

**\--Chapter Seven--**  
  
 _No words describe a mother's tears_  
 _No words can heal a broken heart_  
 _A dream is gone, but where there's hope_  
  
 _\-- Phil Collins, "Two Worlds"_  
  
When they got to Ossus a standard week later, Master Skywalker was there to greet the girl. Once Luke had welcomed her and turned her back over to Kyp and Jaina, Kyp directed Jaina to lead Sarisa to her quarters, while he got a repulsorsled and retrieved her belongings from the hold. At the door to Sarisa's quarters, he waited for someone to open the door. Stepping inside, he noticed Jaina wasn't present.

"She is not here, Master Durron. She said she was not feeling well, so she went to lie down." Sarisa's sweet face showed her concern for Jaina, whom she'd already taken to viewing like an older sister.

Kyp decided to let Jaina rest and took the sled back to the storage facility. Eventually, he let himself into Jaina's quarters and found her asleep on the bed. Sighing, feeling immensely weary, he stretched out beside her and was asleep in moments.  
  


\----------

It was her absence from the bed that woke him sometime before dawn. Kyp sat up, feeling disoriented for a moment before he remembered he wasn't in his quarters. Jaina's side of the bed was vacant.

A sound caught his attention. He listened closely, and realised that it was the sound of Jaina crying, coming from the refresher. He swung his legs out of bed and went to her.

She was huddled on the floor, a wad of tissue in her hand, sobbing uncontrollably. Kyp sat down on the cold tile floor and pulled her into his arms. "Jaina, sweetheart, what's wrong? Honey, why are you crying?"

It took several long minutes before he could get anything coherent out of her. Even then, it wasn't very, and he wished he hadn't heard it.

"No baby," she choked out. "There's no baby."

Kyp's arms tightened convulsively around her and he buried his face in her hair as his new-found dreams came crashing down. He felt as if he'd been sucker-punched, and he couldn't breathe. Tears threatened and he readily gave into them, and they cried together for the child they might have had.  
  


\----------

 Jaina woke to find Kyp beside her, sharing her pillow. She wasn't sure how they'd got from the refresher to her bed, but his cheeks were covered with the dry tracks of tears. Judging from the stiffness of her face, hers was, too.

She let out a shuddering sigh and took hold of a handful of his rumpled tunic, resting her face against his shoulder. She felt better, lying here in his arms. It didn't hurt quite so much, because she still had him.

Kyp stirred and woke. "Jaina?" he murmured.

She looked up. "Yeah?"

"You okay?"

She bit her lip, her brow furrowing. "I'm . . . really disappointed. But I think I'm okay."

He rested the palm of his hand on her cheek. "Me, too. I didn't know how much I wanted it until it was there in front of me."

Jaina slipped her hands under his shirt. After a moment, Kyp sat up a bit so he could remove it. She pressed her cheek to his chest, listening to his heart. The steady thump was reassuring, calming to her frazzled nerves.

"Besides . . . did we really want a child so soon?" he asked softly. "You and I have barely begun. Maybe we should give ourselves some time before we add a third member to our little . . . family."

Jaina sat up, leaning over him. "Family?"

"That is . . . if you'll have me?"

She ran her finger over his chest, through the light dusting of hair on his upper torso. "I'll think about it?"

"Okay."

Jaina snuggled down next to him and sighed. Kyp pulled the blanket over them, then kissed her.

"I love you," he whispered, saying it for the first time. "Sleep tight."  
  


\----------

Sarisa settled into life at the academy fairly quickly, though she had a somewhat rocky start. Jaina felt for the girl, who was far away from her mother and in unfamiliar surroundings. Needing something to throw herself into, Jaina took the girl under her wing and began teaching her about ships.

"I'd like to be a pilot someday," the girl said one afternoon, as she was assisting Jaina with some maintenance on the _Sind'ri_.

"I could teach you," Jaina offered. "Not today, but sometime. If you'd like."

Sarisa smiled, brightening. "I would like that."

They both paused as Kyp entered the hangar through the tunnel from the temple. He wore a plain black flightsuit and his customary cape. Jaina found herself smiling as he waved. He didn't stop, headed off on patrol.

"Watch," Jaina said to Sarisa. "Master Durron is going to fly out."

Sarisa watched with huge eyes as Kyp's X-wing lifted off the floor and shot upwards in a tight spiral, out through the hangar doors high above them.

 Jaina snorted. "Showoff."

"He is an amazing person," Sarisa murmured, flushing faintly.

 _Lovely_ , Jaina thought with amusement. _She's got a crush. And, really, who wouldn't?_

Returning to what she was doing, she said, "He is. He's a good man, and a good Jedi. He and I have been through a lot together."

Something in her voice made Sarisa look at her. "Are you and he . . . ?"

Jaina's hand came up and clasped the seashell pendant. "We are," she said quietly. "It hasn't been easy, lately, but . . . I love him, and he loves me."

Sarisa managed to keep disappointment out of her voice, even though she knew, logically, she had no chance with a man twenty-one years her senior. "Sometimes, when you look at him, you are sad. Why is this?"

The older woman grimaced, then gave a small smile. "That's something between me and Kyp. It's not something we talk about. Sorry."

"That is all right." Sarisa shrugged. "It is only that you have been kind to me, and I do not like to see you sad."

Smiling, Jaina said, "Thank you."  
  


\----------

The next day, Jaina started teaching Sarisa to fly. The girl was hesitated and scared of half of the controls. Jaina laughed and assured her she wasn't likely to self-destruct the ship. The weapons systems were also temporarily disabled during their lessons.

The day before Jag and Tahiri were due to arrive, after she'd sent Sarisa off to her Jedi training, Jaina returned to her quarters to find Kyp, dressed in white slacks and a white sweater, lounging on her bed. His black hair and dark eyes were stark in contrast to the pale walls and sheets, and his clothing. She thought he'd never looked more appealing.

They stared at each other for several moments, then she said, "Sarisa reminds me of what I lost in the war. Innocence."

She paused near her desk and kicked off her shoes.

"It's something I'll never get back, and . . . It's one reason I want a child. With you. I know nothing can replace the one we may have lost. I don't even know if I was pregnant. But being heartbroken over a child that may not have existed is pointless. There will be other opportunities."

Kyp didn't speak, just looked at her with those dark green eyes.

Jaina stopped at the corner of the bed. "I'll have you."


	8. Chapter 8

**\--Chapter Eight--**  
  
 _Somewhere, something is calling for you_  
 _Two worlds, one family_  
 _Trust your heart_  
 _Let fate decide_  
 _To guide these lives we see_  
  
 _\-- Phil Collins, "Two Worlds"_  
  
They'd recreated the grand audience chamber from the Great Temple on Yavin IV. Kyp, who was there to act as witness for Jag, wore his best robes. Of course, having been asked that morning, he'd dressed sooner and rather more hurriedly than he'd planned--or Jaina, for that matter, who had been quite put out by the comm beeping at 0800--and was still attempting to straighten said robes as he and Jaina took their positions in the audience chamber. She, in turn, was acting as Tahiri's witness, and both were expected to participate in the ceremony.

Jaina reached up and straightened his collar. She smoothed the front of his robes, then hooked her thumb in his belt. "There. Perfect."

Across the aisle, Jacen snorted.

She levelled a look at her twin. "Excuse me? Don't make me come over there!"

Kyp hooked his arm around Jaina's waist. "Careful, Goddess. Wouldn't want to get blood on the aisle runner."

Jaina smirked. "Yeah, I don't think Tahiri would appreciate getting Jacen's blood on her dress on her wedding day."

Jacen stuck his tongue out at her.

Standing next to Jacen, his fiancée, Queen Mother Tenel Ka, gave her future consort a tolerant look, then winked at Jaina. Tenel Ka was the only one Jaina had told about anything, and the other woman whole-heartedly supported Jaina's decision to accept Kyp.

"I think-" Jaina began, but was cut off by the sound of a slap, then a thump, and a groan.

They looked over to see Sarisa, in her new robes, kick a prone Valin Horn in the shin. His sister Jysella stood nearby, laughing. Sarisa humphed, and stomped over to where Kyp and Jaina stood.

Kyp raised an eyebrow. "What'd he do?"

"Ventured his hands into territory better left unexplored," the teenager said. She moved to stand on the other side of Kyp. The Jedi Master, who had been apprised of the girl's crush, hugged Jaina tighter.

Jaina snickered as Valin got to his feet.

The doors opened and Jag's family entered. Jaina had met them for the first time that morning, and while she liked Syal Fel, she was glad she had not married into that family. She belonged with Kyp.

Jaina leaned back against Kyp and sighed. He slid his other arm around her and kissed her temple.

"When do you want to do this?" he whispered close to her ear.

"Soon," she murmured, not taking her eyes off her uncle as he and Jag walked in.

"How's next month sound?"

She turned at that. "Really?"

"Really."

Jaina grinned. "Sounds perfect."

Across the aisle, Jacen leaned over to Tenel Ka. "What are they talking about?"

"I believe, my love, they are discussing weddings." Tenel Ka looped her arm through Jacen's. "As we should be doing."

Jacen smiled.

Leia hurried in, to stand beside Jaina. Her brown eyes took in her daughter standing in Kyp's arms, and sighed. "All right. Fine. But you'd better tell me you're getting married!"

Jaina grinned. She glanced at her father, then said, "Wouldn't want to disappoint you. Can you throw one of these together in a month?"

Han laughed. "Jaina, your mother's just about invincible. I wouldn't put it past her."

Further conversation was cut short when the doors opened again, and Tahiri Veila entered, on the arm of Corran Horn. From the way the younger woman's face lit up at the sight of Jag, standing there in his black uniform, and the way he smiled back, it was obvious to Jaina they were going to be very happy.

"I can't wait to marry you," Kyp said softly. "I love you."

Jaina was sure she was grinning stupidly as Jag and Tahiri were married.  
  


\----------

Kyp pulled Jaina into his arms, his hands brushing the white fabric of her skirt. "You are so beautiful," he said softly.

She smiled, reaching up to run her fingers through his curls. "And you are so handsome."

He took her hand and kissed the ring on her finger. "Thank you, Goddess, for making me the happiest man in this universe."

"The whole universe, huh?" She grinned. "That's a bit cocky of you, I'd say. Jag over there might challenge you to that title."

"Nope. It's officially me." Kyp swung her around in a circle, then stopped and gazed at her for a moment. "Come with me for a minute."

Jaina slipped her hand into his and followed him over to their boulder. The plaza had been finished now, and it was no longer a patch of dirt. But Kyp had insisted that the boulder stay, and stay it had.

"What?" she asked, laughing a bit. "I don't see anything."

Kyp stood in front of her and held his arms out to either side. "Me," he said. "That's it. That's all you're getting. Every cell, every fiber of me. I swore to you here, Jaina, that you would never be without me, and I swear it again. Even if death should separate us for a time, I'm yours."

Jaina stepped forward and embraced him. "Then I'm yours, too. I said we're partners until one or the other of us dies, and I meant it. But we're more than partners, so beyond death works for me. Whatever comes, we're in it together. Family."

They stood for a while, under the evening sky, just holding each other.

"Hey, you two!"

Kyp looked over at Han, who held a goblet in one hand and was waving at them with the other.

Jaina laughed. "Speaking of family . . ."

"This isn't much of a party without the bride and groom, so haul it and get back in here!"

Smiling, hand-in-hand, they rejoined their party.


End file.
